Various industries such as Thermoforming and Compression Molding need large heated platens to simultaneously apply pressure and temperature to multiple layers of material to achieve desired end product. Hi-Watt can assist customers from application needs assessment through concept design to turnkey heated platen execution.
This includes: CAD platen design, wattage calculations, heater/temp sensor selection, platen fabrication and temperature zone control strategy execution. Hi-Watt has a long track record of being able to deliver turnkey packages in condensed time frames.
Product Listing
- Cartridge Heaters
- Temperature Sensors
- Temperature Controls
- SCR Power Controls
- Temperature Control Panels
Case Study:
A local OEM needed a complete turnkey heated platen system and package of controls in 5-7 weeks. Hi-Watt designed the platen, heaters, temp sensors and controls from the start and delivered the entire package of products in under the critical time frame allowed.
Heating Platen
When it comes to high-quality heated platen applications, there are a range of heating methods, material choices and other essential specifications to consider. Because of the wide range of heating applications and relevant industries, learn more about heated platen manufacturing techniques and how Hi-Watt can assist you in on-time selection, installation and repair of your heaters.
What Is a Heated Platen?
A heated platen is a heated metal plate that presses use to manufacture a variety of items. Depending on the type of platen used, the temperature and your material selection, you can use a heated platen to make these items and more:
- Plywood
- Particle board
- Gaskets
- Semiconductor wafers
Your heated platen press uses an industrial heater, high watt density and a compact design to deliver the controlled heating you need to create precision products. Each platen is heated with controlled heat transfer.
Essential Heating Principles
There are three basic ways your industrial heaters can control the temperature of your platen. Heating platen for a press can be achieved through conduction, radiance and convection.
Conduction heating uses direct contact between a hot object and a cooler one. The contact point allows heat to transfer. The conductivity of the object in question allows for rapid or gradual heat transfer.
Convection heating operates on the principle of rising heat. Whether you’re heating a gas or a liquid, convection causes the gas or liquid to rise and displace cooler gases and liquids. This process creates a cycle that allows a single heating point to quickly increase the temperature throughout the entire mass of your fluid.
Finally, radiance heats through electromagnetic waves. Dark surfaces, in particular, are dramatically affected by heat transfer through electromagnetic waves. Other surfaces and objects, such as reflective materials and gases, only transfer a minor amount of heat through radiance.
Choosing a Platen Heater
Depending on the manufacturing process, there is a range of platen heater elements and components that you can choose from. It’s best to rely on an expert to select the perfect platen heater for your company. In order to find the perfect heater for your process, be prepared to answer some of these questions:
- What voltage and phase are available?
- What are the starting and final temperatures?
- What material are you working with?
- How much space is available for your platen heater?
Each of these will help the Hi-Watt sales team connect you with the right resources. Our engineers will select or design a platen heater system that can safely operate in your plant and produce the high-end, high-speed results you need to compete in your industry.
If you already have the perfect heater in place and simply need a prompt repair team, our skilled professionals have experience repairing, modifying and upgrading systems with minimal turn-around time. We can work with your schedule to make emergency repairs or to work on your heater when it’s most convenient for your manufacturing process.
The Hi-Watt Difference
From compression molding to thermoforming, you need a quality heated platen for your exact specifications. Finding the right platen heating solution in a condensed time frame can be difficult. When you need highly specialized services for precision components, it’s often difficult to keep your timeline. Thankfully, the team at Hi-Watt can deliver.
Learn how our quality repair, installation and support services can provide you with a turn-key product that meets your deadline. Our service providers meet accelerated deadlines for our clients 97% of the time.
Contact us today to receive a prompt quote for your platen heater or other industrial heating and temperature control system project. We’ll work with you to create a long-lasting, industry-leading solution that meets your needs and your timeline.
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Over last 8 years we have addressed 95% of inside sales quoting requests within 3 hours.